BIRTHDAY OF THE DAY: Matt Lewis, senior columnist at The Daily Beast and CNN political commentator

How/where are you celebrating your birthday and with whom? “My wife and kids are taking me to All-Purpose Pizzeria in the Shaw neighborhood of Washington, D.C. If you haven’t been, it’s worth the carbs.”

How did you get your start in journalism? “I originally thought I would be an activist or political operative. But I discovered writing about politics was more fun. This epiphany happily coincided with the trend of politicians and operatives writing online. I’m not sure I could have pulled off this transition before the rise of the blogosphere.”

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What’s an interesting book/article you’re reading now or finished? And why? “Having embraced (within reason) minimalism, I started reading JoshuaBecker’s ‘Clutterfree with Kids’ while on vacation this August. Mostof us would concede that materialism is bad, but Becker demonstratesthe psychic and spiritual toll that having too much ‘stuff’ around thehouse takes on us all.”

What is a trend going on in the U.S. or abroad that doesn’t get enough attention? “A decade ago, a lot of people thought America’s dependence on foreignoil was our greatest existential threat. Today, thanks to fracking, the U.S. is getting close to energy independence. Positive trends rarely get enough attention.”

How is the Trump presidency going? “Exactly as I feared it would.”

What’s a fun fact that people in Washington might not know about you? “My mom had twelve siblings; my dad had nine. They must have gottentired of all the noise, because I’m an only child.”